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Liberal Studies Undergraduate Publishing Program

November 10, 2008

Many SU students aspire to be authors. A new publishing program helps make these dreams real. Students work with faculty to pursue written scholarship in journals, newspapers, and magazines, or even to write a book.

Started by the Liberal Studies Program, majors or recent alumni are assigned a faculty mentor to help navigate the publication process. “Response has been tremendous,” reports Dr. Sven Arvidson, founder of the publishing program. “Students are currently working on amazing projects including a scholarly article for an education journal and a gastronomy book.”

Students are responsible for the idea and carry it through to publication. They pitch the faculty member and the mentoring begins. Faculty provide strategies for approaching editors, responding to critiques, and targeting publications. For example, targeting the right publication is an art that most professors have mastered, reducing rejection and the lag time from submission to publication.

One of the goals of the publishing program is to bring students and faculty into a collaborative relationship outside the classroom. This interaction also engenders academic excellence, one of the strategic goals for SU. According to Dr. Arvidson, contributing in writing to a public conversation is a form citizenship and responsibility, key aspects of the Liberal Studies major.

Nathan Wheeler, a Liberal Studies major, says it was just the kind of expert help he needed. “I had this great idea for an article on the history of a controversial educational initiative in Tacoma, but I didn’t know how to make it happen. Now, I’m getting solid advice and feel I am well on my way to publishing!”